Sergeant Alfred Flores, Officer Eleazar Alejandro and Officer Nathaniel Villalobos were charged and arrested late Friday. All three have since been released from the Bexar County Jail on a $100,000 bond. Officials said the men served SAPD for 14, 5, and 2 years respectively.
Chief William McManus said in a press conference that police were called to the 6200 block of Old Pearsall Road after Perez was seen cutting wires on an alarm system on the exterior of the building.
“It appeared Ms. Perez was having a mental health crisis,” McManus said.
Police reportedly made contact with Perez outside the complex shortly after arriving after which she ran into her first floor apartment, where an officer followed and attempted to enter the unit through an open window on the rear balcony that was covered with a screen.
When an officer tried to take the screen out of the window, McManus said Perez threw a candlestick at the officer and struck him in the arm, prompting him to hold back and wait for additional officers to arrive.
McManus said there were two groups of officers gathered, a group near her front door and a group near the rear balcony. The group at the balcony reportedly spoke with Perez for over thirty minutes. According to a video released by SAPD, an officer jumped over the balcony and Perez ran to the window with a hammer and hit it and broke the glass. One officer then fired several shots into the apartment.
Perez was not injured after the first round of gunfire, police said. In the video, police said Perez moved away from the window and towards the patio door with the hammer in her hand, prompting three officers, including the one who fired the first shots, to open fire into the apartment and fatally injure the 46-year-old. McManus said she was shot at least twice.
“The shooting officers’ actions were not consistent with SAPD’s policy and training,” McManus said. “They placed themselves in a situation where they used deadly force which was not reasonable given all circumstances as we now understand them.”
SAPD's homicide unit is actively investigating the shooting and death of Perez, McManus said, noting there is also an investigation by the department's internal affairs division and a third probe into the incident by the district attorney’s civil rights division.
“My condolences to Melissa Perez’ entire family,” McManus said in the press conference. “I want to assure her daughter that this incident will be thoroughly investigated as are all officer-involved shootings."
SAPD released body cam footage of the shooting alongside the press conference on Friday. Viewer discretion is advised.